


Tall Man, Skinny Lady

by Tanicus



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: AU - The Beast is Cool Actually, Occult, Other, Paganism, Rituals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28115229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tanicus/pseuds/Tanicus
Summary: Come over here, I think you can maybeTry to cure my soulFor Beacember 2020 - "Feathers"
Relationships: Beatrice/The Beast
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	Tall Man, Skinny Lady

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this several years ago, nuked my account, and now here it is again with a few minor edits.  
> Title and summary are from a Ty Segall song of the same name (go listen to it, it fucks) and some dialogue is from Animal Collective - My Girls

In the woods stood a tall man, and at his feet knelt a young girl, her lean frame blanketed by waves of red hair. She was clad in pale blue; a stark contrast against the black shroud of a man that towered over her.

The beastly man rested his bony hands on her stooped shoulders. With his finger, he brushed at one of the stray red curls against her neck. "What do you seek from me?"

"There’s not much I feel I need," she said, her voice clear in the crisp autumn air. "Just a solid soul, and the blood I bleed.”

"A solid soul," he repeated. "And the blood you bleed?"

"Yes, Beast."

He raised his hands from her shoulders and lifted them towards the sky. "I will provide for mine who ask." As the Beast spoke, hundreds of spindly, gnarling Edelwood saplings burst from the ground, grasping at each other like souls from a mass grave. They twisted themselves together in cruel, wicked ways to form an altar. Her eyes bright with fascination, the girl admired the Beast's handiwork.

"Stand up, girl." The Beast's words were soft and fell far short of any sort of command, but the young woman obeyed anyway, for she desired the Beast's favor. She brushed the dirt off of her pale blue dress as she did so.

Reaching into the feathered cloak that adorned his shoulders, he produced four black candles, which he placed at the corners of the altar. He reached up, though not far, to grab the rusted lantern hanging from one of the highest branches of a tree close by. Opening a small window on the front, he held it close to each of the candles, and the brightest, purest flame sprung from their wicks. He placed the lantern back upon its branch and stared deeply into his disciple's eyes. "My woman, before we proceed, I must ask: what is your name?" 

She stood up a little taller and broadened her shoulders, staring back at the Beast with a quiet boldness. "My name is Beatrice."

His eyes softened in fondness. He gestured for her to lie down, and with heart, she did so. 

The Beast reached into his cloak once more, this time producing a knife. It had a finely curved blade, and it glimmered in the darkness, like a moonbeam emitting from the athame’s black handle."O Beatrice, bringer of joy, maiden of good luck; you have guided your lost soul unto me. For this, I shall reward unto you the finest treasures of this earth,” he spoke, dragging the edges of the blade across his coarse fingertips.

“I don’t care for fancy things,” Beatrice said.

The Beast’s piercing white eyes fixed upon her. “You do not care for material things, or social status?” Beatrice shook her head, and the Beast placed the point of the knife just above the neckline of her dress. “Then surely you would not care if I rid you of this garment?” 

A bit sheepishly this time, the woman on the altar shook her head. His eyes grew ever softer, and gently, the priest of the darkened wood dragged the blade down her chest, separating the blue fabric and leaving the tiniest trail of red in its wake. Yet Beatrice’s face was one of calm; she showed no pain.

He continued to drag the knife down, ever so gently, until the front of her dress was split down the middle. With his free hand, he brushed the two halves aside and the fabric fell away, forming the altar cloth beneath the lady’s back. Then, in one swift motion, he took the blade and made a slice in his first two fingertips. A thick, sinister oil dripped from the cuts, and with it, the Beast drew an inverted star on Beatrice’s bare chest. Goosebumps rose on her soft, pale flesh.

Deep breaths rattled through the Beast’s driftwood form as a sequence of vibrant pastels shone in his eyes. “By my power, and the powers which reside deep in these woods, and the powers that be,” he spake, “A solid soul is bestowed unto you, Beatrice, and the blood you bleed is ever crimson and pure. In your veins is the power to fuel gods, and the light to brighten the deepest ravine of the forest.” He sensed the shivering of his disciple atop the altar. He caressed her quivering arm.

“As you say, Beast, so it is,” whispered Beatrice.

“Yes, my dear, so it is.” The Beast ran his finger along the tiny reddened slice trailing down her flesh. “Your joy persists through evils, and your wisdom persists through vile ignorance,” he continued. “All you desire in this life is yours to hold. All that exists within the reaches of death are yours to command. And in your ecstasy and strength, may you spread your wings and take flight.” He pressed down harder on her delicate skin, that which was seldom exposed. He whispered incomprehensible chants, and with each word of power he spoke, oil rippled forth from the wound.

Beatrice exhaled in a breathy groan. The Beast softly shushed her and caressed her face with one hand as he scooped up the oil with the other. He reached up and sprinkled it into his lantern, and the flames greedily lapped at its vigor.

“As I have said, so it is, so it was, and so it shall forever be.” He took Beatrice by the hand and helped her sit up. “You’ve been wonderful, my girl. So complex and brave.”

Beatrice sat cross-legged on the altar, slowly returning to her senses. She stared down, fixated on her own nude body. Then she looked up at the tall man lumbering over her. “Beast?”

“Yes, my dear?” He polished his ritual knife against the edge of his cloak.

“I- I don’t mind what you did to my clothes, really, it feels nice being out here like this, but… I have to go home to my family.” Her face reddened. “Can I… Can I have something to cover up with?”

A soft laughter rose from the Beast’s throat. “Of course. The human urge to conceal that which is natural can’t be helped, I suppose.” The light of one of his ancient eyes dimmed briefly. Then he slid the massive cloak off his shoulders and draped it around hers. It enveloped her entire figure in a regal backwoods shroud; she held an air of Unknown matriarchy. “Keep it.” 

She rubbed one of the cloak’s smooth raven feathers. “Are you-”

“For mine who ask,” he said.

The moon had begun to rise in the sky, and the woodland high priest and his beloved disciple both knew that their time had ended. With his coarse hands, he lifted Beatrice from the altar and eased her to the forest floor.

Just as the Beast turned to recede deeper into the woods, Beatrice reached out and grasped one of his hands with her own, though they were much smaller. “We’ll meet again like this, right, Beast?” she said, holding him tightly. 

He faced her and stooped, his bones creaking like an antique rocking chair as he did so. He pressed his face against her forehead, and in that contact, Beatrice swore she felt hair, and warmth, and life; living flesh adorned him, present only to those whom he favored. She was thoroughly satisfied by this response.

That autumn night, the tall man and the skinny lady departed, and as Beatrice traversed through the woods back to her home, the twigs and thorns of the forest floor fled from her footfalls, and soft leaves guided her way. In all this, she knew her soul was cured.

**Author's Note:**

> special thanks to Xathira for convincing me to reupload this, and also for just being an all-around boss
> 
> Check out Beacember 2020 over on tumblr!
> 
> Also... i swear i'm working on chapter 5 of Earth Angel!!!


End file.
